Audience members at Arthur Ganson’s Seminar on September 14, 02009 were among the first viewers of The Lava Project Documentary, which premiered in our new Long Shorts series – short videos that explore, explain, or exemplify long-term thinking and responsibility.

The Lava Project Documentary was created by White Elephant DesignLab, a group of designers who explore natural phenomena and experiment with various materials and their external influences. Earlier this year, the group created a piece at the Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii that was inspired by our promotion of long-term thinking through use of the five-digit date. Using a “02009” stamp made of hardwood and aluminum, they imprinted the congealing surface crust of Pāhoehoe lava in order to equip the emerging lithosphere with its date of origin.

“We developed the idea of using this symbol only when we had already arrived on the island,” says Tobias Kestel of the design team. “We thought it was just the right symbol to use in this context of volcanic activity. Processes of new land being formed by lava flows have been going on for billions of years on the planet, which provided the perfect ground for embossing your symbol of long-term thinking.”

“We are aware,” Kestel adds, “that some people might still argue that we actually did alter the environment there. At the same time, the symbolic value and the message and discussions our action will provoke can be and will be of relevance, even if only a few people will start to think differently after having seen the results and having learned about your project, as we will always promote our project together with the reference to The Long Now Foundation.”

The “material” is not only a symbol of purity and creation, it is sacred to the native Hawaiian people. The external influence you provided was a violation on nature, culture, and inteligence. I take from this “experiment” the impression of egotism and insensitivity. Very bad design by any standard.

This is a great little film. The project seems to be remarkably creative, while at the same time very useful. Recently, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about sharing and the commons. This film really opened my eyes to the way we share, not only with others, but with the future. As Stewart said, imagine how excited the archeologists of the future will be when they find the timestamps.

“Long endless hikes, Destruction & creation at the same time” What complete manure!! which is also akin to destruction & creation.
This is the Austrian self advertising version of the UK’s Turner Prize, was waiting for Michael Palin & John Cleese to show up.

W.E. strongly recommend a visit (and hikes) to this incredible place.
All the best for 02010! Best, W.E.

DarwinsChurch

@ W.E.
Thank you for the invite but not for me, still have not seen the paleolithic cave paintings. Think archeologists of the future will find enough space debris :) Ref Ideas about Long-term Thinking =

Darwins Church: open source mission statement / creed

What would you add to the open source belief system of Darwins Church as a mission statement / creed ?

It seems to me that famous quote by Voltaire “If God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him” is still true but we have evolved to the time when Darwins Church with an existing infinite life membership of all from amoeba to primate, religious order to atheist group, all faiths and philosophers accept the origin of species as the natural theology. It is possible that through Darwins Church atheist’s can always work through reason and ambiguity rather than in isolation / antipathy

Your comments please

Encompassing all entities
The science of life
Infinite congregation
Interdependent
Encompassing all primate belief systems, faiths, creeds, ……….. from totem poles to cathedrals all that once gave social order

DarwinsChurch.com
DarwinsChurch.org
Will be an open source organisation

We evolved religions to survive, what’s the point in believing something if you don’t think it’s true? Our fears created our superstitions at the dawn of our intelligence; beliefs are built into us through ignorance. We will always have belief systems, I see no reason why we can’t have a belief system where every living thing is a member by default and is based on reason

a faith for reason.
Church
any Christian – non-Christian religious society, organization, or “congregation”: the Jewish church.
Congregation
(in colonial North America) a parish, town, plantation, or other “settlement” = the planet